While it would be highly desirable for Suzanne …

While it would be highly desirable for Suzanne Pilley’s body to be found, not least to help alleviate the inconceivable distress that her family must be suffering, I am quite sure that the police do not want to provide sufficiently accurate enough information to spark off an unofficial public search of a specific area. While possibly assisting in locating the body, it would more probably result in destruction of vital clues, thus delaying any find further, and may even attract some questionably motivated people. When the authorities are in a position to pin down a specific area (and they will be working on this) I am sure that they will conduct a methodical search, possibly enlisting public assistance at that point. In the meantime, encouraging private searches may be with honourable intentions, but could have negative results.

Recent comments by Neil Manchester

Scottish Summit on ash dieback diseaseTo quote a wonderful actor who died recently, “Don’t Panic!”- I met a frightfully pukka chap last week walking the woods near my house, who stated that he worked for the forestry commission and all staff had been instructed to get their wellies on and conduct the ash dieback survey, but he would be interested if I had seen any evidence locally. I asked him what symptoms he was looking for, to which he replied ‘the leaves shrivel and fall off’. I had to report that we saw such symptoms every autumn so perhaps early November may not be the best time to conduct such a survey. Blissfully ignorant of my irony, he marched on with his notebook, but luckily my area is not listed as affected. Presumably it was also one of his colleagues who has suggested footdips for walkers and dogs in woodlands, which isn’t the best method of controlling an airborne pathogen. So, all under control then.

Double edged message in government announcement of new Marine Harvest investmentIt was a poor response and not up to your usual standard Mr Wakeham. Bringing slavery and child labour into the argument is a bit extreme. And how can you possibly know what I think anyway? I do, however, believe that fish farming is worthy of more credit than the repetitive critical drivel FA churns out on the subject every time.

21 Responses to While it would be highly desirable for Suzanne …

Well spotted; not only is the most direct route between Tyndrum and Inveraray nowhere near the Rest, there are other routes unless it’s certain that the car went through Inveraray. And the state of the car seems to indicate it either went off the edge of a road – without getting irredeemably stuck – or it went along a hill track or along a stretch of forestry road that had been abandoned or never completed. A great deal of ‘if’s, and a definitive statement from the police would surely be sensible to avoid unnecessary public concern.

While it would be highly desirable for Suzanne Pilley’s body to be found, not least to help alleviate the inconceivable distress that her family must be suffering, I am quite sure that the police do not want to provide sufficiently accurate enough information to spark off an unofficial public search of a specific area. While possibly assisting in locating the body, it would more probably result in destruction of vital clues, thus delaying any find further, and may even attract some questionably motivated people. When the authorities are in a position to pin down a specific area (and they will be working on this) I am sure that they will conduct a methodical search, possibly enlisting public assistance at that point. In the meantime, encouraging private searches may be with honourable intentions, but could have negative results.

I travel on this stretch of road between Inverary and Tyndrum several times per year. I have often thought that the police should be looking there rather than at the Rest and be Thankful. There are numerous rough tracks leading from the Inverary to Tyndrum stetch of road which could be used by a car at a push. I think that the collecting of bin liners from the janitorial staff at Lochgilphead School by David Gilroy was a red herring to divert the police into searching for the body at the Rest and be Thankful. In my opinion the road between Inverary and Tyndrum is not a popular areas for dog walkers hence the reason that the body has not been found.

David Gilroy collected bin liners prior to leaving Lochgilphead on his return journey to Edinburgh. Lothian & Borders police assumed that the bin liners were for covering the Suzanne Piley’s body prior to disposal somewhere aroung the Rest and be Thankful area.

Why shouldn’t the bin liners have been used anywhere, why do you think they were a red herring? The very fact that he obtained them in Lochgilphead increased suspicion – and wasn’t the search on the Rest route reportedly based on mobile phone records? Why do you link the bin liners specifically to the Rest?

According to the court case David Gilroy took an unusual route from Edinburgh to Lochgilphead. He travelled via Tyndrum and Inverary taking two hours to complete the Tyndrum to Inverary section which is a lot longer than normal. The distance between Tyndrum and Inverary is 32 miles which should take about 45 minutes maximum to complete by car. I think that David Gilroy dumped Suzanne Pilley’s body between Tyndrum and Inverary before travelling on to Lochgilphead. He then asked for black bin liners to give the impression that he had dumped the body at the Rest and be Thankful. I have also driven several times on the A83 over the Rest and be Thankful. One thing is certain. There are a lot more rough tracks leading off the Tyndrum to Inverary road than there are on the main A83 at Rest and be Thankful. The Rest and be Thankful area is well frequented by hill walkers whereas the few people walk on the tracks off the Tyndrum to Inverary road.

You assume that, because of the sighting at Tyndrum (and presumably at Inveraray?) – combined with the police search around the Rest – that the answer is east of Inveraray, rather than on the Lochgilphead side, or elsewhere. That’s why I think it would be sensible of the police to state clearly what is, and isn’t, known about where Gilroy was known to have been, and at what time. This could save people from getting the wrong ideas about where the body might be. This isn’t the first, or the second, time someone who’s been murdered has been dumped in Argyll in the last few decades.

If I was organising a search for Suzanne Pilley’s body I would ask dog owners to take their dogs for a walk down every road or track that leads off the Tyndrum to Inverary road as dogs have a very keen sense of smell and are more likely to find a body.

I don’t know all the facts…like which way the car was heading in the CCTV…but If nobody has yet done it, somebody should have look in the forestry areas on the N side of the road between Tyndrum and the turn off to Inveraray near Dalmally (on the A85 ) dense young conifers and loads of access points…no campers, no access to any popular hill’s and definately no dog walkers. (good forest to see Goldcrests and the likes)

I have e-mailed L&B about times and direction of travel at Inveraray and still no answer.He turned off phone so how can they know where he stopped the area between port sonachan and ford would be my focus for The search

Please clear up a few things for me,first of all why do the police think that the rest and be thankful route is involved at all.Secondly do we know which route he took on his return journey from Lochgilphead to Edinburgh.Im so confused by the routes and timing parts of his journey to try and at least rule out where he didnt dump the body,thanks.